The shapes on white background (on a blue background in the gift) 

Editor: Right, so next up we have “The shapes on white background (on a blue background in the gift)” by Fernand Léger. It appears to be a mixed media collage with lots of interlocking geometric forms. The color palette is muted but I’m still struck by its playfulness. How would you approach this piece? Curator: From a formalist perspective, I am immediately drawn to the composition and the interplay of shapes. Note how Léger arranges these forms: overlapping, juxtaposing, and balancing the composition. The relationships create tension and visual interest in ways that are non-hierarchical, non-illusionistic. Does this approach suggest anything about representation to you? Editor: I guess it’s less about depicting anything real and more about how these shapes work together on their own? Is that where the abstraction comes in? Curator: Precisely. Consider the role of color. How do these specific tones and their distribution contribute to the overall effect? Are the color choices arbitrary, or do they create a system, a logic within the composition itself? Editor: I notice how the colors, while individually distinct, share a similar level of saturation, creating a visual harmony. It's interesting how they contribute to the flattened perspective too, because nothing really recedes or pops forward. Curator: Yes, the flatness is paramount. Léger manipulates visual cues to deconstruct traditional perspective, affirming the painting's surface. Look closer at the shapes themselves; observe the lines, edges, and textures, especially where the shapes meet and diverge. It almost appears as if the intention is to reject all associations outside the immediate visual space of the work. Editor: It seems that the essence of this collage lies not in any symbolic content but entirely within its formal arrangement, something that's purely visual. I now find myself thinking about it not as an abstract piece but as a real thing made of colors and shapes. Curator: Indeed. By shifting our focus solely to its visual architecture, we can begin to perceive its internal logic and appreciate it within its own formal context.